Assorted Carlisle "Palisades Vineyard" Napa Valley Petite Sirah

“The 2010 Petite Sirah Palisades Vineyard bursts onto the palate with a racy concoction of blackberries, blueberry jam, savory herbs and spices. This is an especially refined Petite Sirah loaded with class and sheer energy. I loved it. The fruit is sourced from Dennis Sutro's Palisades vineyard, but Mike Officer picks a little earlier than Sutro does for his own wines. These vines, planted in 1964, are among the youngest in the Carlisle portfolio! (AG)” (12/2011)

“Glass-staining purple. Smoky, deeply pitched scents of candied black and blue fruits, cracked pepper and olive; smells a lot like a wine from the northern Rhone. Stains the palate with densely packed blueberry and bitter cherry flavors, with a spicy nuance adding lift. Finishes peppery and very long, with resonating florality and slow-mounting tannins. This wine was raised in 50% new French oak but I don't detect its influence. (ST)” (05/2012)

“I’ll just briefly summarize the 2014s. It was the earliest vintage ever for Mike Officer and probably he’ll beat that early harvest record in 2015. In this case, he was finished by October 6, which was a first, and it will be interesting to see if he eclipses that in 2015, which was looking even earlier. The production levels were relatively abundant for Mike Officer and the wines fruit-forward, although softer and less reserved than some of the 2013s. While not quite as opaque in color, they are loaded with fruit, supple and luscious. The only white wine, the Grüner Veltliner Steiner Vineyard, makes an appearance in 2014, and it’s another beauty – it’s crisp and the only wine in bottle. The other wines all stood out and will, no doubt, merit outstanding ratings across the board for their intensity, richness, and full-bodied power. If you already know what Mike Officer does, and the style of his wines, you won’t be disappointed in his 2014s. You may even like them as much as any vintage, given the fact that this year shows a lot of up-front fruit and charm. (RP)” (10/2015)

“The 2014 Petite Sirah Palisades Vineyard emerges from one of the best sites for Petite in California. All the classic signatures of Palisades are in the glass; intense, dark fruit, powerful tannins and explosive sense of energy. The long, seamless finish suggests a bright future once the elements have a chance to fully come together. (AG)” (02/2016)

“This wine impresses from first pop, a complicated, well-crafted exploration of full-bodied flavor and brambly beauty. Blueberry pie, violet and cigar tease the nose as they follow through on a soft, supple layering of fine-tuned texture. But it's the stony minerality and undeniable coaxing of white pepper that imprint the memory. *Cellar Selection, #27 Top 100 Wines of 2017* (VB)” (03/2017)

“Ripe and polished, this offers a concentrated, vibrant mix of wild blueberry, huckleberry and plum flavors, accented by hints of black tea, dark chocolate and baking spices. The tannins are dense but velvety, and the finish goes on forever. (MW)” (12/2016)

“The 2017 Petite Sirah Palisades Vineyard is a step up and comes from well-drained, gravelly, loamy soils north of Calistoga. It’s a thrilling Petite Sirah that has all the power and richness of the variety yet balances it beautifully with elegance and finesse as well as complexity. Plums, cigar tobacco, spice box, earth, flowers, and incense notes all give way to full-bodied, plush, seamless Petite Sirah that does everything right. Where the Sonoma County release needs bottle age, this is already stunning.” (06/2019)

“In 2017, the Carlisle Petite Sirah Palisades Vineyard has more of a floral and red fruit profile than is typically the case, along with a decidedly finessed personality. It's hard to say if that is a reflection of the vintage, a stylistic choice, or more closely related to a move towards sustainable farming. There is certainly much to look forward to in this classy Petite Sirah from Carlisle. (AG)” (01/2019)

“The 2017 Petite Sirah Palisades Vineyard comes from 50-year-old dry-farmed vines. It aged in 28% new French oak. It has an opaque purple-black color and aromas of warm plums, chocolate box, iron, pencil shavings and violet perfume with toasted cumin and fried herbs. Full-bodied, it floods the mouth with luscious, chocolaty, spicy fruits with a chewy frame but great acidity to counter, finishing long and unexpectedly elegant. (EB)” (12/2019)

“Pretty violet and black raspberry aromas lead to layered and sinewy flavors of cherry and smoky licorice that speed toward broad-shouldered tannins. (TF)” (02/2020)

“The 2018 Petite Sirah Palisades Vineyard is another stellar wine in the range, and a fitting end to this tasting of 2018s with Mike Officer. Remarkably refined for a young Petite, the Palisades is so expressive today. Inky dark fruit, chocolate, licorice, leather and dark spice all meld together effortlessly. The tannins are incredibly polished, and that really allows the purity of flavors to come through. Palisades Vineyard is one of the top sites for Petite Sirah in California. This is a terrific example. (AG)” (04/2020)

“Lastly, the inky colored 2018 Petite Sirah Palisades Vineyard (100% Petite Sirah) is another balanced, elegant wine that shows the vintage's style beautifully. Blueberries, blackberries, charcoal, scorched earth, and gravelly mineral-notes all emerge from the glass, and it's concentrated, medium to full-bodied, and balanced on the palate. As with all these wines from Carlisle, it has good concentration, excellent acidity, and a great finish.” (05/2020)

“Personality meets polish in this hearty red, which offers bold flavors of grilled anise, wild berry and cracked pepper that build toward medium-grained tannins. (TF)” (11/2020)